Understanding Depop’s Return Policy: A Guide for Sellers

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As a seller on an e-commerce platform like Depop, it’s inevitable that you will eventually come across a buyer who wants to return an item.

Maybe they changed their mind, maybe the item wasn’t as described (hey, it happens!), or maybe their package got lost in transit.

So, what do you do when a buyer wants to return an item? Do you have to accept their return request every single time?

Read on to know what Depop’s return policy is and how to deal with returns and refunds.

What is Depop’s return policy?

Depop’s return policy varies based on whether you’re a private seller or a registered business. If you’re a private reseller, you’re not obligated to accept returns and issue refunds unless the item was listed with an inaccurate description or the buyer never received the item.

If the buyer wants to return an item due to any other reason? Accepting or rejecting it is completely up to you!

Here’s an example from a Depop seller:

On the other hand, if you’re a registered business on Depop, there are some selling regulations that you need to abide by. These regulations state that a buyer can file a return claim within 180 days (counted from the day of the transaction) if:

1. The item they received wasn’t as described in your product listing.
2. The item was damaged.
3. The buyer never received the item.

In all the above cases, you are obligated to accept the return claim and issue a refund which includes the shipping costs incurred by the buyer to send back the item. However, always make sure to get proof of damage from the buyer.

If the buyer wants to return their item for any other reason, they may contact you directly with a request, but you can choose whether to accept the return or not.

Okay, great. But do the above rules apply to any and every item you sell, or are there exceptions?

Items not eligible for a return on Depop

Although most things sold via Depop—like clothes, shoes, bags, home goods, and sports goods–are eligible for a return, there are some items that cannot and don’t have to be returned.

So, if you sell any of the following things, you never have to worry about having to return them!

• Perishables
• Digital items
• Gift cards

How to refund a buyer on Depop?

So, someone is returning an item they bought from you and, now, you need to refund them. Here’s how you can do it based on the payment method they used.

For payments made with Depop Payments

Before refunding the buyer via Depop Payments, you need to link a top-up card (debit or credit card) to your Depop account.

This ensures that buyers are refunded even if your Depop balance is insufficient. If your card is already linked, skip straight to Step 1 below.

To add your top-up card, click on the home icon and head to Payments. Select Payment Settings and choose Top-up Card. Follow the instructions to link your card, and you’ll be all good to go. Once this is done, follow the guide below to refund your buyer.

Step 1: Open Depop (either on your desktop or mobile) and log in.

Step 2: Click on the home icon and select All Sold Items.

Step 3: Select the transaction for which you’re issuing a refund and click on the Refund button.

Step 4: Select Full Refund if you’re refunding the entire money. If you’re only refunding part of the money, select Partial Refund and enter the amount you want to send.

Step 5: After making sure all the details are correct, click on Confirm Refund. Aaand that’s it! The buyer will receive the money.

For payments made via PayPal

Refunding a buyer who paid you via PayPal? Follow these steps.

Step 1: Head to PayPal and log in. We recommend using your desktop for this rather than the app/ mobile.

Step 2: Click on the Activity tab located on the top left corner. Under Activity, select All Transactions.

Step 3: Select the transaction that you’re looking to refund.

Step 4: A page with all the transaction details will pop up. Near the top right, you’ll see a button called Issue a Refund.

Step 5: You can either issue a full refund or enter the specific amount you want to refund. Click on Issue Refund and wait till the payment clears. The buyer should receive the money within a few minutes.

Note: You’re probably aware that PayPal charges a service fee for every payment you receive. When you issue a refund, you won’t get a refund of the PayPal fees.

Pro Tips:

1. Always refund the buyer via the original transaction method and never use any other way. This ensures that you don’t get scammed.
2. Ask the buyer to send you the tracking number so that you can confirm the item is on its way back to you.

Now that you know everything about handling Depop returns and refunds, it’s time for a very important question..

How to avoid returns on Depop as a seller

Prevention is always better than a cure. Even though dealing with returns is unavoidable, here are some tips that will help you avoid them. Don’t forget to read the last one!

• Use accurate and detailed product listings with the exact size, color, brand, condition, and age of the item. This includes being transparent about any damages to the item. Take high-quality pictures of the product from all sides in good lighting.
  
  Here’s a great example:
• Make sure to sell only authentic items. For very expensive products, you might even want to include proof of authenticity, if any.
• Use reliable shipping carriers and provide your customers with a tracking number.
• Respond to your customer’s queries and concerns as soon as possible.
• Take advantage of Depop’s Seller Protection. However, to be qualified for this, you need to have accurate product listings, stay away from selling any prohibited items, conduct all transactions within Depop only, ship your products promptly, and provide a tracking number.

Pro Tip: If you sell your products on multiple online marketplaces, you might be struggling with creating accurate listings for every single one.

Save time and ensure that you never miss out on any details by using a cross listing app.

Interested in whether Depop is the right platform for you to sell on? Then check out our Depop review.